The parts of Ad Rank
- Asset impactHow sitelinks, calls and other assets might help.
- Search contextLocation, device, time and the words searched.
- ThresholdsThe minimum needed to show for that search.
- Ad qualityExpected CTR, relevance and landing page experience.
- BidThe most you are willing to pay for a click.
Thresholds decide if you show at all
An ad needs to clear a minimum Ad Rank to appear. Google sets higher thresholds for higher positions and for lower-quality ads. Thresholds also vary by country, device and the topic of the search. A weak ad with a big bid can still fail to show.
How Ad Rank affects your cost
Your actual cost per click is roughly what you need to keep your position above the next advertiser. A stronger Ad Rank from better quality means you need less bid to hold the same spot. That is why quality improvements lower costs.
How to raise your Ad Rank
- Match ad headlines to the keywords in each ad group.
- Send clicks to a fast page that delivers what the ad promised.
- Add sitelinks, callouts, call and location assets.
- Bid more where you convert best, less elsewhere.
Good example. A dentist adds a call asset, sitelinks to each treatment and a headline that repeats "emergency dentist." Ad Rank rises without a bid increase.
Bad example. A dentist raises bids every week to stay on top, while the ad still points to a slow homepage with no booking button.
Ad Rank vs Quality Score
The two differ. Ad Rank decides each auction. Quality Score is a 1 to 10 diagnostic Google shows per keyword. Google says Quality Score is not an input to the auction itself. It is a guide to where ad quality needs work.
Read what Quality Score is. Our Google Ads management works on every part of Ad Rank, not just bids.